Take a look at polaroids from the set of Star Wars IV: A New Hope

With enough time, the most ordinary objects can become extraordinary. These polaroids, on display through January 4th, 2015 at the British Film Institute Southbank as part of an exhibition of materials from the set of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, were taken by crew member Ann Skinner. She’s credited for continuity, also known as script supervisor. It was typical in that time for script supervisors to use instant photographs to supplement quickly written documentation of a scene’s set-up. Was Darth Vader facing left or right? Was Princess Leia wearing a bracelet in this scene? And at which point did Luke Skywalker lift his lightsaber? Here’s an example of Skinner’s notated script:

The job is incredibly stressful, requiring a keen eye for remembering the placement of everything in a scene. But these photographs, now decades old, seem peaceful and candid. Nobody thinks twice of a continuity photograph, and so the cast and crew of Star Wars are caught in the mundane. The British Film Institute has a rich post about the intricacies and significance of Skinner’s work on the film. It’s definitely worth a read.

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